Jeep Cherokee Grand Cherokee Engine and Performance Problems

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Did you ever see any smoke/steam from the tailpipe, or signs of oil leaking from underneath the engine area? I've read that smoke/steam is a sure sign of a headgasket problem. However, I haven't seen any smoke/steam from my tailpipe, but there is some oil coming from somewhere. I also found a crack in my radiator.

2001 Grand Cherokee 67,000 miles. Florida so really cold weather not an issue. Oil and filter always changed on time

If parked on a slight hill with engine end of the vehicle down-hill there is a with 20-30 second delay in rise of oil pressure after starting the vehicle. Guage sits on ZERO and check engine guage lite comes on--no engine noises. Then guage goes up to proper level but sometimes all the way to the highest measurement of the guage (80). Jeep has never done this before. I am concerned about the relatively ling time the engine runs with no oil pressure registering on guage. OIL dipstick after last oil change slightly above full level on level ground with engine cold--Oil change place say this slight over fill is not a problem

My 98 Cherokee Sport hesitates when I back it up. It also starts lurching and bucking on the highway after it's been running for a while. Lastly, it backfires internally if you try to start it up but don't turn the key to the on position for about 30 seconds ahead of time.

Any ideas what could be going on? I'm planning a trip cross-country in May and obviously can't take it running like this. I live in a small town and the only "mechanic" within a reasonable drive is a backyard guy.

Having problems with my daughters 03 Grand Cherokee 4.7 HO. A few months ago, it would just stop running. Ended up replacing the cam and crank sensor. The engine continued to run rough. Ended up having a #7 cylinder miss fire. Replaced the spark plugs and all was good. Now it came back on the #7 cylinder. Switched coils around and still continued to run bad. The #7 spark plug didn't look bad or smell bad like it wasn't firing cause of spark, but maybe no gas???????Scott

I have a 2004 4.o six, it cranks no start it will run if gas is poured in, I can hear pump run when key is turned on, I check injector fuse they are ok, I did not get voltage to fuse? what do I check next?

My 1994 6 cyl. 4.0 ltr. JCG, with no problems, died suddenly while getting on to the freeway. It has been in the shop for 2 days and they can not find the problem. They tell me they add fuel directly to the rail and the engine won't start. They also inform me that the spark is very dim. They also informed me that now they cant get power to the fuel pump? Mind you, there were no warning signs and all electrical has been fine. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a 1999 jeep grand cherokee with the in line 6 cylinder. The vehicle is intermittently running rough at idle and under load. Under load it will feel sluggish with intermittent surges of power. At idle I notice a little black smoke from the tail pipe and a different smell. The check engine light has come on a couple of times with the P0171 code. The oxygen sensors were recently replaced. It was having a similar problem when I replaced the oxygen sensors but this was a few months back. Any help you can provide is appreciated..

I have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee. There are two problems I am having. My first problem is the car pulls to the right (really strongly) when you hit speeds above 60 mph, I have bought 4 new tires, had an alignment, and replaced the axles, and oiled everything up I am still having the problem. My second problem is when I am stopped at a stop light, and while my foot is on the brake, the car moves forward like it is going to take off even when it is stopped. Can any one help?

Okay so i have a 1993 jeep grand cherokee ltd with a 4.0 straight six my jeep was running rough it has a exhaust leak somewhere but it has had that a long time and never had this bad of gas mileage... So my car started then wouldn't start again after i shut it off so i changed the coil and it ran again and it is running strong but doesn't sound pretty and is getting extremely bad gas mileage my jeep is getting about 35 miles to the quarter tank some days even less i dont know what to do please give me some hints i looked and all the coil wires are hooked up and everything tightly but i dont know what the next step i need help and i can not get the exhaust fixed right now i am brokeThanks for looking -Erika

I've researched this on Google and it appears that many have had this issue on different Chrysler vehicles, many with no resolution. My mechanic said he could do a smoke test (pump smoke through the evaporative system) to see if that shows anything, but he said that this can be expensive to track down the problem. The dealer wants $95 just to run diagnostics (which would apply to my estimate to get it fixed, assuming they figure out the problem).

Have you heard of this? If so, what have people tried?Any other suggestions?

The mechanic said I could drive with the light on, but this makes me uneasy, especially if I go out of town. I have noticed a decline in gas mileage. Other than that, it may run slightly rough here and there, but overall doesn't seem phased by this issue. I haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money so far, but I'm trying to keep the costs down on this.

My '99 Jeep just cuts off while going down the road. I have replaced the fuel pump twice, but nothing has changed. It happens intermittently. Sometimes it starts right up and then it sets for hours without cranking. I went for a 6 hour trip with no problems, but then a 5 mile trip it may happen twice.

That's odd. I haven't had any issues (that I know of) with my fuel pump yet, but I did notice that my exhaust smells rich, which I think is tied to the engine error code. Seems like a lot of people have had fuel/evaporative/emissions related issues. Thanks.

Ok 1st off let me start by saying I am not mechanically inclined at all. I am a single mother of 4 small boys and not alot of money to take to shop. These are my issues, ABS light is on all the time. When you start the car it revs up so loud and high When u first start driving it is sluggish. When driving it seems to have a hard time shifting gears, it is automatic, i let off gas and it kicks in. When I put it from park to drive it clunks. When I make a turn to like park it clunks. And last but not least there is a constant sound coming from like down by brake pedal and accelerator like a constant hiss or air flow. Please help!!!

My guess why your Jeep shuts off is either the cam shaft positioning sensor or the crank shaft positioning sensor, that is if Jeep has either of the two. If your Jeep has a way to display the trouble codes I'd try to find out how to get it to display those codes in order to see if it can identify this as the problem.

It sounds like you may have an oxygen sensor gone bad. I would try to find the trouble codes to see if they identify the oxygen / or o2 sensor/s as the problem. The oxygen / o2 sensor/s has allot to do with your fuel economy as it tells your Jeeps computer how much fuel to deliver to the injectors. Some of your local discount auto parts stores may check your codes for free, and as for the exhaust smell, I'd run it by a local muffler shop to get my catalytic converter checked to see If It's clogged, this should also be a free service. I just hope It's not an exhaust manifold gasket. By the way your oxygen sensor/s are located on your exhaust manifold / and tailpipe system.

I would start with your TPS or throttle positioning sensor located next to your throttle body.Then your camshaft positioning sensor, and next your crankcase positioning sensor. I'd do one every pay day to see It the problem gets rectified. If not the problem,,,then time to have it diagnosed or pull the codes yourself.

Yeah, I just got mine out of the shop yesterday(99 Laredo 4.7 4x4 135k).

Mine was trying to stall when stopping at lights for example. The key here with the four O2 sensors is if the rough idle symptoms I was describing happen while in neutral. If the WJ runs rough with or w.o the tranny engaged it is most likely an O2 sensor issue, or the IAC motor pintle, or the cam position sensor. It all hinges on the error codes like u said. Just thought I would throw this in since it is fresh in my mind. The loud roaring noise is the coolant system fan clutch engaging on startup. It needs to be replaced, but if you rev it in neutral it will shut off. FYI.

So...1) make sure there is oil, coolant, and TRANS FLUID in it. Have your service station check them for you first thing. 2) See if a local shop has a special where they will diagnose your check engine light for free (with the hopes of you allowing them to fix it). 3) Write down all the issues you are having so you don't forget anything4) Be prepared to spend $2,000 to $5000 in repairs. I am not kidding unfortunately.

Anything we advise you on here is supposition and educated guesswork due to the sheer amount of issues you are having.

Last, if you can afford to have it repaired, it is a great driving, great looking, versatile vehicle. However, it is a truck and has expensive, heavy-duty parts that cost a ton of money, so if you have 4 kids and a limited income, get rid of it and buy a front wheel drive, highly rated, reliable car that has less things to break!!! Sorry!!!! :+(

I recently changed the pads and calipers on my Cherokee. I have bled the brakes, and I did not bench bleed calipers but I did check them to makes sure they were full of fluid then bled system again. Now I can't get enough pressure to stop the car quickly. I can pump them up a little when the engine is off but when it is on they have almost no pressure. They do slow the car down to a stop but not very quickly. What might cause this. I am new to the Jeep thing and I am stumped. Thanks for any info.

Check to make sure there isn't gunk blocking the line coming out of the master cyl. When you bled the brakes, any sediment in the system goes to the bottom and may be partially blocking one of the lines.

About a month ago, I purchased a 1998 Jeep Cherokee. I took it for a test drive and drove it on the street and also took it out on the freeway. Everything seemed to be working just fine on the vehicle. I checked the oil and it seemed fine and though the engine looked a bit dirty, I felt comfortable with the purchase. I gave the guy the money and drove the vehicle home. The drive home was about 20 minutes and about a block away from my house I had to stop at a stop light. Suddenly I saw the oil pressure drop to 0. I suddenly felt like I had been taken, but I still went home and purchased my insurance to make sure I had the vehicle covered. Not feeling great about my purchase, the one thing that has been keeping me going is that I know the Inline 6 cylinder 4.0 engine is one of the best engines any American car company has ever put into production. So, I thought that a full tune up and an oil and filter change would do the trick. I called a mechanic I trust, and scheduled the appointment for the following Saturday to have the tune up and oil and filter change done. I took the Jeep Cherokee in and my mechanic did a full tune up and the oil an filter change. I picked up the vehicle the next day, and I took my Jeep out for a drive. I drove for about 30 minutes and then had to stop at that same stop light, and of course the oil pressure dropped again though close to 0 but not all the way. I parked the car and did a bit of research online. I found out that a lot of people are having the same issue with their Jeep Inline 6 4.0 engine also. The first thing I did was change the Oil Pressure Sending Unit. This unit sends the information to your pressure gauge in your dash. Apparently they can be faulty as they can be hit or knocked out of place because they stick out slightly from the engine. So, I purchased one for $40, and things seemed to be fine again, but again it was only for about a half hour. The oil pressure dropped again! So on Thursday, I called my mechanic and explained the situation to him. I told him that I changed the Oil Pressure Sending Unit but it did not seem to work. He said that something has got to be blocking the oil from getting to my engine, so we decided to do an engine flush to see if that would get any sludge out of the engine that may be blocking the oil from coming into the engine. So, the oil flush was done on Saturday, and again on Sunday I picked up my car. I drove the car for about 2 days before the engine's oil pressure dropped again, and of course it was at a stop light. So, this is where things currently are for me. I have spoke to my mechanic and also another mechanic who specializes in Jeeps. They both seem to think that it could be the oil pump, but before I spend the $650.00 I have been quoted on the repair, I have decided to take a look at the oil pressure before it goes to the engine. In order to do this, I am purchasing a Mechanic Oil Pressure gauge, pulling the Oil Pressure Sending unit off, inserting the Oil Pressure Gauge, and testing to see if the measurements are within the specs that are in the owners manual. This will be happening on 9/11/11. I have been doing a bit more research on this problem and I have heard that it could be the oil filter is not compatible with my engine and that a Napa Gold oil filter worked for others. The Mechanic Oil Pressure gauge will tell me what the pressure is before the oil is pumped through the the filter and through the engine. If the pressure is low before the oil is pumped through the filter and into the engine, then I know the problem is the oil pump. If the pressure is fine before the oil is pumped through the filter and into the engine, then I know there is some loss of pressure in the engine. So, this is where things currently stand. If anyone else can think of anything that might help, please let me know. I will be watching for updates.

I have a 1994 JGC with the same engine. It has nearly 300,000 miles on the original engine. My oil pressure gauge goes from 0 - 80 at any given time with no apparent reason. Instead of relying on the gauge I rely on the performance of the engine. Oil and filter changes every 3500 miles and everything has been fine since I bought my Jeep 15 years ago. My mechanic tells me its as strong now as its ever been.

9/11/11 is a good day to commit to a jihad on our crappy trucks that we repair and repair and repair. I would like to listen to my gps calmly saying "recalculating" as it plunges to its death at a local cliff. I will never buy an american car again. Sad. :+( BTW, if your Jeep product is red, you can call it a "crimson jihad".

No I am not trying to make fun of the sad events at 9/11, but only to poke fun at a vehicle that J have poured thousands of dollars into.

I am not car savvy at all. My Jeep is an automatic... I've been having some problems- staling when I back up, some slack in shifting, and possibly misfiring of the spark plugs. I took it in for a mechanic (friend of a friend) to do an electrical check of some kind (free). He said about 4 spark plugs were misfiring. He told me he could run a check on the whole engine ($75) but the spark plugs probably needed to be changed. Trying to save a little money, I bought the spark plugs and my ex and oldest son offered to do it for me. They had no clue what they were doing either. So, they removed all the wires on one side at once before they realized they were supposed to do it one at a time. They said all the wires on that side seemed to be in the wrong place (according to the diagram). They replaced all the plugs and it wouldn't crank. Then they put new wires and a new distributor cap cord on. It still won't crank. I'm concerned that it's something more serious. But, before they worked on it, it would crank. Could there be an alternative firing order for the cords to the spark plugs? That's what we keep wondering, because they said the old cords were in a different order when it was running. We really need help! I can't afford to take it in!

deeceesd. Thanks for the posts. I'm having the same issue as you described on my '11 GC 5.7L. I have not taken it to the dealer yet. I'm at approximately 3,000 miles. Curious of the fix if you ever got a resolution from Chrysler? I too was questioning the locking torque converter.

I am sorry your Grand Cherokee is deceased. Are there funeral Arrangements? Possibly a viewing? Or is it so horribly messed up that it is a closed repair bay service? LOL.

I still love my Grand Cherokee, especially the music of the V8. however, never a day goes by that I do not regret buying it and sinking 10,000.00 in repairs over the past 5 years. It has been difficult. Every repair I have had is over $2000.00. I will not buy one again. It was just too much. I am gun-shy of Chrysler forever!